Area residents expressed their views on tension between communities and law enforcement at an NAACP-hosted forum held Thursday night.

A group of people – both white and black – filled the Chipman Cultural Center to share their concerns and thoughts. Charles E. Phillips, conciliation specialist for the Community Relations Service, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Justice, answered questions.

He told the group his organization does mediation between civil rights organizations and law enforcement, and provides its services when there is tension in a community.

Although he talked with Mary Ashanti, president of the Wicomico County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, about this meeting prior to the police-involved shooting that left an 18-year-old man dead in Ferguson, Missouri, he did bring that national situation up briefly.

"What has happened in Ferguson makes this much more a salient topic, well, really all over the country," Phillips said.

That includes in Wicomico County, he said.

Phillips said the Community Relations Service also does cultural professionalism training and helps with problem solving to meet the needs of a particular municipality.

The majority of the forum, which lasted just more than two hours, was the audience raising concerns or asking questions. Law enforcement was not represented, but Ashanti said it wasn't meant to be a meeting for them; there is expected to be a later meeting that will involve the police.

Multiple people expressed they would be interested in a police oversight board. But it's not just about having the board, Ashanti said.

"We also want policy change," Ashanti said.

She said whenever an unarmed civilian is shot or killed by police, there should be an automatic review by the U.S. Department of Justice.

People also shared situations in which they felt they or someone they know had been mistreated by law enforcement. One man brought up the case of Winfield Fisher, who was killed by Maryland State Police earlier this year outside the Salisbury barrack.

Investigators ruled the state troopers were justified in the shooting.

Ashanti said the next step will be to talk with Phillips and meet to decide what will happen next.

April Jackson is one resident who'd like to see something get started soon, she expressed during the meeting. While she said she's never feared the police, she is starting to now.

Something similar to what happened in Ferguson could happen here, she said.

"I see it coming if we don't hurry up and do something," she said.

Cheryl Williams said the black community needs to teach children respect for police as well as themselves.